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Challenging interpretations is something I not only find amusing but also quite fascinating. Although, religion is not something that I believe should be challenged personally for myself, I find myself drawn and intrigued by this very question: Is the absence of belief a belief in of itself?

Atheism, according to Cyril Tourneur’s The Atheist’s Tragedy, is not the lack of belief but the assertion of belief in something other than God. Being an Atheist, according to The Atheist’s Tragedy, does not imply the absence of religion but rather challenges the definition of religion and an all-powerful God. The idea of an Atheist believing in a higher power is brought into question through the atheist in the play. In The Atheist’s Tragedy; Or the Honest Man’s Revenge, Tourneur suggests through the atheist D’Amville that atheism is in fact a kind of religion and that not believing in a God is a religion in of itself.

The play was highly interesting – some of the ideas seem formidable – but above all it is an educational and entertaining read. The play was first published in 1611 and is considered classic of the Jacobean era. If you are someone who finds other’s viewpoints interesting and love a good debatable topic then this is a good book for you to read whatever your personal religious views; you can check out a digital copy from Hoopla with your library card. Of course, it’s to be taken in with an open mind.

Are you stuck in a cooking rut or looking to start cooking for yourself for the first time this year? I’ve selected some books that we’ve just gotten in at the Hoboken Public Library that I’m planning to borrow in the future that you might enjoy as well. Check out these books in the New Year and get to cook some new tasty recipes!

COOK90: The 30-Day Plan for Faster, Healthier, Happier Meals
by David Tamarkin and the editors of Epicurious
photographs by Chelsea Kyle
If your life is similar to mine as a working mom whose partner also works full time it can be a struggle to create healthy meals each days and too easy to fall back on takeout which can bring with it increased calories, fat, and sodium. COOK90 put together by the popular online recipe cite, Epicurious, seems like a great choice for anyone who has made a New Year’s resolution to cook more since it encourages users to challenge themselves to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 30 days. I’m not sure if my husband and I will quite meet the challenge for every day, but the book seems a good way to meet our personal goal of cutting down significantly on takeout during the week. There are over 100 recipes in the book along with strategies to help with getting you cooking more. Dishes like cocoa oats with yogurt, honey, and hazelnuts sound like a tasty way to put the takeout menu away.

New Pizza: A Whole New Era for the World’s Favorite Food
by Stefano Manfredi
Speaking of take out, our most frequent choice is pizza, my son’s favorite and most requested food. My husband’s family growing up had the tradition of watching a cheesy movie every Friday along with an extra cheese pizza with pepperoni, something we often enjoy on the weekends with our son. As much as I enjoy the delicious pizza that the tri-state area’s pizzerias are famous for; I know making my own is a healthier option. Stefano Manfredi in his book, New Pizza, uses whole wheat flour and fresh ingredients to give his pizza a healthier twist by looking back at the way it was historically made. Manfredi is a leading expert on Italian food who grew up in Lombardy so I’m hoping that using his recipes and techniques we can create our own tasty slice of Italy from scratch. New Pizza will be of interest to those interested in the history of pizza as well as making it.

Flavors of Africa: Discover Authentic Family Recipes from All Over the Continent
by Evi Aki
I’m a huge fan of Ethiopian cuisine and some of our favorite dishes to make are ones prepared in a traditional Moroccan tagine we got several Christmases ago, but I’m less familiar with the food elsewhere in Africa so Evi Aki’s Flavors of Africais on my list of cookbooks to check out. Aki grew up with traditional Nigerian dishes but she also includes recipes from all over the continent. I find this book extra appealing with its connection to family recipes that Aki collected from her own family and friends. With African American History Month coming up in February this seems like a great choice to checkout no matter what your background and celebrate a group of immigrants to the US who have a delicious heritage to share.

The Secret Ingredient: Recipes for Success in Business and Life
by Gigi Butler
You might have heard of Gigi Butler from Gigi’s Cupcakes. In The Secret IngredientButler shares not only a delicious recipe for cupcakes or other desserts in each chapter, but also discusses her journey to overseeing a successful business which started in Nashville and then became a franchise destination. I always enjoy memoir/cook book hybrids since it gives you a sense of where the recipes come from and how they were created which makes them seem even sweeter to me. Whether baking is a favorite hobby of yours like it is for my son and I or you are looking for an inspirational book to start off the New Year this might be a good pick for you to check out.